Guardiola looks to City whizzkids to plug the gaps
PEP GUARDIOLA is ready to hand teenager Phil Foden his senior debut as he braces Manchester City for what he believes will be their toughest spell of the season.
Guardiola says that with 13 games to play in all competitions between now and January 2 and England defender John Stones injured for up to six weeks, City’s mettle will be tested like never before. As he prepares to rotate his squad, starting in the Champions League clash with Feyenoord tonight, Guardiola could turn to 17- year- old Foden or two of his fellow City youngsters.
The midfielder, who helped England win the Under- 17s World Cup this year, has trained with the first team all season alongside Tosin Adarabioyo, a 20- yearold defender, and midfielder Brahim Diaz, aged 18. “They are ready,” said manager Guardiola. “Otherwise they would not be training here every day with us.
“In the high level, we try to help the young players, but they have to have quality to train with us. It’s not just to have fun or be gentle. They are there because they have a chance to play with us.
“They have the mentality because they are guys who want to become football players. It is not easy to find that.
They live for their profession.
“I never saw one guy who, when he went on the pitch, didn’t want to win a match or do well.
“They are not scared to play. They are going to try well. They have to join us and help us. It’s all steps for them.”
With Stones out of action potentially until Christmas with a hamstring problem and Vincent Kompany feeling his way back from his latest fitness issues, Guardiola has just two senior centre- backs to call upon in Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala, who are set to be paired against Feyenoord.
Mangala seemed likely to leave the club in the summer but he opted to stay and could now play a key role.
“I have to be focused on what I can control,” said the Frenchman.
“I am going to work, to help my team- mates. We have the facility to win titles. I am here to win titles.”
Guardiola, meanwhile, has played down suggestions his side should be ranked among the Champions League favourites.
The City boss says his former clubs, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, should still be fancied above his side to lift the trophy despite a growing narrative that his current team are the best in Europe.
Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri and Leicester’s Claude Puel are the latest to claim as much, and Guardiola said: “I say thank you very much to both of them.
“For Manchester City, a team that still needs a history in Europe, that is a big win. That doesn’t mean we are favourites to win the Champions League, but it’s nice.
“It means we are doing some things very well. But obviously, people usually say the favourite teams are FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and others.
“People putting us there is a big honour but that does not mean we have done anything because we haven’t.”